3-year-old Riverside boy fighting for his life after nearly drowning while on vacation

by Kelly May

3-year-old Riverside boy fighting for his life after nearly drowning while on vacation (Photo: The Lambert Family)

DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) - A 3-year-old Riverside boy is fighting for his life after nearly drowning in a pool while on vacation with his family.

Now, the community is rallying around Liam Lambert.

Only FOX 45's Kelly May talked with Liam's mother about her sons a fighting spirit and her message to other parents.

Liam just celebrated his third birthday in Dayton Children's Hospital, he currently suffers brain damage from the near drowning.

"I went to go get the Floaties out for the pool guy, and I saw my baby floating in the pool, and he was blue and I immediately just jumped in to get him out," said Liam's mom Jessica Knight.

Knight shared the emotional story from the lobby of Dayton Children's Hospital, her son being cared for upstairs.

She told FOX 45 seconds felt like minutes as she panicked to revive her son.

"I can't even get the images from finding him in the pool out of my head," she said holding back tears.

It happened on what was supposed to be a happy family vacation at a rental home in Jacksonville Florida on June 20.

"It's something that I don't wish on anybody," Knight said.

Knight said Leon was with extended family members while she changed one of Liam's brothers to get ready for the beach.

She said it only took seconds alone and an accident, well paramedics said Liam's heart stopped after being underwater for nearly 10 minutes.

Knight said the lack of oxygen caused brain damage.

She said her little boy was putting sentences together before the accident and now, "he opens his eyes like five way, it's kind of like a blank stare," Knight explained.

"I still see my baby in there," she said about his minimal response but fight to live.

Knight said Liam has made progress at Dayton Children's, and that the community is rallying around their family for "Liam strong", to fund an experimental hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment that is not covered by their insurance but may help regenerate important brain cells.

"If there is a chance of saving him I don't care I'm going to do it," Knight said, "I'd give him my brain if I could."

The summer is not over yet, and watching her baby in the hospital for more than a month, Knight has a message for parents with little ones near water.

"Keep an eye on your kid, you think you have someone watching them, you can only trust you," she said.

She also said she is strongly advocating that parents get their infants into swim lessons as early as possible. She said Liam did not have any lessons and she regrets it.